If you love music, classical music, and the composer Ludwig Van Beethoven, I would highly suggest you read this Why Beethoven: A Phenomenon in One Hundred Pieces! This is a great music history book that dives into the stories behind Beethoven’s musical compositions that the author discusses in the book.  Norman Lebrecht reveals through Beethoven’s music the man who created such powerful, beautiful, and powerful pieces.  As you read each musical composition in each chapter we get a closer look into the music where we see how Beethoven went through so much in his life from his childhood dealing with abuse from his father to the struggles of being a composer and losing his hearing that made him the incredible composer that we all know today.  I have read a few biographies about Beethoven’s life/ music and this book is one of my all time favorite music history books I have read about his compositions and life. I love how the author discussed Beethoven’s life through each piece along with the music history of other performers and conductors who played his works over the years. It also covers how the various compositions played an important role in the composer’s life and beyond his life in classical music history. The chapters were very short and quick but the author provided great detail despite the chapters being small to discuss the works and backstory behind them.  I loved how the book discussed what influenced Beethoven to compose these particular works along with how they evolved over time through performances beyond Beethoven’s time that answers the question in the title of this book “Why Beethoven?”.  I learned a lot of informative facts behind some of my favorite Beethoven compositions that I never knew before in prior to reading other books about his life and music.  Beethoven’s works to me have so much emotion and passion in them that gave me more of a greater appreciation of his compositions.  This book is wonderful for those who enjoy nonfiction, music history, biographies, classical music, and love Beethoven! I highly encourage you to request this book, it was truly an incredible read and you will not be disappointed!